I often get asked how I got into holistic counseling, and so I thought I would address the question about how to become a holistic counselor in a blog. My path was a bit circuitous, as I did not originally know that I wanted to be a holistic counselor. It was only after spending three years living in the San Francisco bay area, getting my master's degree in marriage and family therapy, that I realized how backwards the field of psychology is, and that I didn't want any part of it. The field of psychology is mainly out of touch because it puts a great deal of emphasis on the dysfunction, rather than focusing on the wholeness of the individual. It seeks to identify and categorize the dysfunction, rather than understand what it means to be a whole and balanced human.
So after many disillusioned years, I finally realized that I would have to create my own path as a counselor and began learning and understanding more about myself (how my mind, emotions, and body functioned). There is so much to know about these three areas, and you can surely teach yourself. The information is out there (this website provides a great overview of what information is needed), but you can also learn directly from your own experience. So I would suggest fostering a genuine interest in yourself first and foremost. Get to know how you work. Understand how your ego creates your emotional experiences. Great material for this learning process is Eckhart Tolle, Adyashanti, Mooji, and many other spiritual teachers. Understand how your thoughts are creating your reality, and how to gain mastery over your own mind through meditation, affirmation, and prayer. Tend to your own emotional wounds. Open yourself up and begin dissolving old beliefs and old patterns of limitation in your life. Systematically dissolve fear and negativity in your own life.
Get to know how your body works. There is so much information to integrate about the body. Understand how the gut effects mental and emotional health. Understand the process for healing the gut lining through supplementation, diet, and lifestyle. Understand how to cleanse and heal the various organs of the body (the liver, the pancreas, the kidneys) Learn about various detox processes for parasites, heavy metals, and toxins. Learn the effects of eating different foods, and their energetic impacts on the body. Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda are incredible resources for understanding diet, nutrition, and the body.
Understand how energy works: the law of attraction--what you focus on will manifest more fully in your life. When you focus on health and wellbeing, you will experience more of that. So begin this process in your own life, focusing on everything about yourself and your life that fills you with love and life affirming experiences...as you master this in your own life, you can begin to help others by holding them in the highest light, in the highest version of them that you can access in your perceptions. Rather than focus on dysfunction, focus on wellness, helping to guide that which is out of balance back into balance through love and positivity.
You may notice that I haven't mentioned any holistic counseling programs or trainings. The reason is because I have noticed that many people are looking to cut to the end goal without doing the real work. Many people are interested in a certification or a license, rather than focusing on really understanding and mastering the knowledge. Being a holistic counselor means that you are living a holistic life. So take the time to get in touch with yourself, to change your life to allow greater balance. You must be a living example of good health and positivity in order to lead others through the healing journey. If it is truly in your path to teach others how to live in balance, it will come about naturally as you yourself first master the experience. Why try to teach before you have mastered....If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. Blessings and peace :)
Mica